Accessibility and Access Keys [0]
Imagine walking down a scenic promenade lined with trendy restaurants and shops on one side and a majestic, magnificent river on the other.
You browse through a few boutiques along the boardwalk, make a reservation for dinner, stop for a coffee or an ice cream, then sit on a bench overlooking the river and watch tourists in canoes and rowboats paddling by.
Unfortunately, if you live in Ottawa, the only way to experience this scene is to use your imagination. Or to head out of town to a city that has tastefully and properly developed its waterfront into a hub of activity for citizens and visitors, like Chicago.
In Ottawa, we hide our rivers and canals like state secrets. Although the Ottawa River is one of the most stunning waterways in North America, we protect it from public access like it’s a piece of fine art that will spoil if it’s touched. Instead of showcasing it to residents and tourists and making it a focal point for life in the capital, we tuck it away for safekeeping.
Apart from some nice pathways for walkers, runners and cyclists, we have done all we can to make sure people rarely see the Ottawa River. The paths are scenic and natural; in fact, on the tree-lined route below the Parliament Buildings, you’d barely know you were downtown.
Unless you make a special effort to get to the river, using one of the limited number of access points, you’ll never see it. And unless you’re a runner or a cyclist, you certainly won’t have much opportunity to enjoy its beauty. Most buildings near the Ottawa back onto rather than face the river. The best views of the river are from the Quebec side or from tall buildings in downtown Ottawa that are several blocks from the water.
Ottawa’s other major waterway, the Rideau Canal, isn’t much better. Like the Ottawa River, it’s lined with roads and paths. But over a stretch of several kilometres between the National Arts Centre and Dow’s Lake, there is a grand total of one restaurant that faces the canal.
Ottawa is built around water, but you’d hardly know it. No wonder, as mayoral candidate Clive Doucet recently pointed out, few people seem to care about the river (and the thousands of litres of raw sewage being poured into it during a heavy rainfall). Why would you care about something you rarely see or use?
It’s time to showcase the Ottawa River for the genuinely spectacular natural wonder that it is. And that means initiating development that brings people closer to the water and more tourist activities that put people on the river.
Many cities in North America have done far more with their waterfronts despite having far less to work with. Navy Pier in Chicago is an obvious example. But cities like Baltimore, Cleveland, and San Antonio with its Riverwalk have also developed their waterfronts into popular destinations.
For some reason, we’ve avoided that opportunity. We seem to think that protecting the river means sheltering it from sight.
Tourists to Ottawa might see the river if they cross a bridge or make the effort to take a boat cruise.
But some tasteful waterfront development would become a major destination for tourists and residents, just like the ByWard Market. It might even be a site for a bit of nightlife. Imagine that in the capital.
Of course, some purists will say the Ottawa River is perfect as it is, preserved from commerce and untouched by development. But what good is that if few people see it?
Besides, nobody is proposing building a big-box mall on the riverbank.
Proper waterfront development doesn’t have to be tacky or take away anything from the natural setting. But it does mean more people seeing the dazzling beauty of what is now our best-kept secret.
Any development on the Ottawa River has to be done right.
And a lot of consultation has to happen first. You don’t want to get bogged down in process and there’s no way to make every stakeholder happy, but you wouldn’t want to rush things or be accused of skipping over due process for something this significant.
But the city should start the discussion and the current municipal election campaign is an excellent opportunity.
One possible site to explore is the undeveloped area at Bayview and LeBreton Flats.
It’s a chance for the city and the National Capital Commission to get creative about how the Ottawa River could become a gathering place instead of an attraction that’s tucked away where no one can see it.
It would be interesting to hear the mayoral candidates weighing in on this kind of vision — rather than simply fighting over petty politics.
Visitors to Ottawa are stunned by the breadth and power of the Ottawa River. Done right, some development along the river could become one of the most beautiful waterfront settings in the world.
It would be good for tourism, good for residents and most of all good for the river.
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